Why have
devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary? This is a point debated hotly among our
Protestant brethren and which is briefly answered here..

Perhaps devotion to the Mother of God is the constant "WHY?" even
among Catholics. Is it necessary? Or, is She important to our Christian life?
Finding no convincing answers, this develops into a kind of restraint to come to
Her. The Mother of the Redeemer becomes a stranger to the soul that was washed
by Christ's blood-the blood that He owed from Mary. Others are even afraid that
devotion to Mary might interfere their devotion to Christ. "How can I give
my full attention to Christ, and so my love, if I am devoted to Mary?" It
is simply the difficulty of loving two persons with one heart. Yet, this is the
common rationalization of many. Others are apathetic to any Marian devotion
because they are thinking that it is "Too Much!" for Her, a creature
like us. It is as if too much devotion to Mary would make Her a god. These are
the assumptions of others that prevent them from experiencing the warmth of Her
maternal love, the happiness of being a child to a most loving Mother and the
consolation of being drawn closer to Jesus.

But we can sum up this cold Marian attitude in a single word: IGNORANCE. It
is the lack of knowledge of the person, privileges and role of the Blessed
Virgin Mary. Oftentimes there is a confusion between veneration of Mary and
adoration to Her. Of course, we don't and never adore the Blessed Virgin as our
Protestant brothers accuse us. There is a bold line that delineates between
veneration and adoration. No matter how you multiply your veneration, it never
ends up with adoration. Just as addition can never make an infinite sum, so our
veneration and devotion to Mary remains simply honor to a creature. Period. When
we honor Her we never displease our Lord. It never interferes our love and
devotion to Christ. It is noteworthy to quote what the Church says on this
matter: "The maternal duty of Mary toward men in no way obscures or
diminishes the unique mediation of Christ, but rather shows His power.. It rests
on His mediation, depends upon it and draws all its power from it. In no way
does it impede, but rather does it foster the immediate union of the faithful
with Christ" (Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, 60).

Jesus is never envious when we honor His Mother. On the contrary, He wills
it. He even expressed it in the Fourth Commandment: "Honor your father and
mother." Is not the Blessed Virgin our Mother? Jesus Himself upon hanging
on the Cross gave His Mother as our Mother: "Behold thy Mother" (John
19:27). Although we are not worthy of Her motherhood, Christ gave Her to us
because He knew very well that we need a mother like Her. And She is not simply
a metaphorical Mother, and we as metaphorical children, but Mary is TRULY our
Mother in the supernatural order just as she who gave us birth is our TRUE
mother in the natural order. According to Fr. Neubert, S.M.: "A mother is
one who gives life. Mary has given you life, the most real life."

In order for us that we may honor Mary as our Mother, Jesus, the Son of God,
set an example to follow. He was very obedient to Mary (Luke 2:51) because He
was the most loving Son. If to be a Christian means a follower of Christ, then
are we not to imitate the love and obedience of Jesus to His Mother? How can we
become perfect disciples of Jesus imitating Him in every aspect of His life when
we fail to love and obey His Mother? And this is precisely what Marian devotion
consists of, love and obedience. So in the person of Jesus we have that divine
example of devotion to Mary. His example must be perfect; and that is, what we
ought to follow as Christian. If we have to follow Christ's standard of devotion
to His Mother, then we should not be afraid in giving Her "too much"
love for we will never come to love Her as Jesus did, according to St.
Maximilian. Do we think that we can outmatch the love of Jesus to His Mother?
Then why are we so reserved in giving our love to Her, in expressing our
devotion to Her? Being a Mother of grace She rightly deserves our love-the
highest love that we can possibly have. And don't be afraid; our love to Her is
too little in comparison with Jesus' love.

Why devotion to Mary? Because Jesus wills it by giving Her Mother as our
Mother. Fr. Stefano Maria Pio, FFI, S.T.D. says: "The first foundation for
devotion to Mary is Her status as Mother and our status as Her children."
This is the reason why the saints had a passionate love to the Blessed Virgin
because they looked at Her as a fond Mother. They believed that only by casting
themselves upon the maternal care of the Immaculate Mother that one can truly
resemble Jesus who quietly rested in His Mother's arms.

Only in frequent recourse to Her that one can be nearer to Jesus. And only in
loving Her that one can love Jesus more than one can do by himself. Devotion to
Mary is highly recommended in the school of the saints. There is no other way,
that is surer, closer and quicker, to Jesus than Mary. AD JESUM PER MARIAM (To
Jesus through Mary) is the watchword of the servants of God. In Her we have
nothing to do but only a disposition: be a child to a mother; as simple as that
and we will experience a sweet intimacy with Jesus, our Brother.

This document is part of The Little Internet Library of the Blessed Virgin
Mary maintained by the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate as the central
feature of the Home Page of the Immaculate.

The Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate are a Roman Catholic Religious
Institute of solemn vows headquartered at Benevento, Italy. Their Home Page is
maintained from the Marian Friary of Our Lady Queen of the Seraphic Order, New
Bedford, MA, United States of America.

To Contact Write:
Marian Friary of Our Lady Queen of the Seraphic Order
POB 3003
New Bedford, MA 02741-3003
USA
Email at: ffi@ici.net
Or Visit their WWW Site at: http://www.ici.net/cust_pages/ffi/index.html

This article first appeared in "Pro Maria", a publication of the
Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate in the Philippines Islands. If you live in
the Philippines and would like to subscribe to Pro Maria, write Pro Maria, 14
Salinas Drive, Lahaug, 6000 Cebu City, Philippines